Sunday, June 5, 2011

Getting to Leh, Ladakh

I eagerly anticipated the flight to Leh, because getting to Leh by air requires flying over the Himalayas. I'm at a loss for words about what I saw out the window of that plane. I wanted to parachute out the back and start trekking right there. Landing in Leh was no easy feat - the pilot ended up pulling a fast downward "J" onto the runway, in a narrow valley of the surrounding mountains. My contact in Leh picked me up at the "airport" and took me to a comfortable guest house run by a very hospitable Ladakhi family. I took it easy there for a full day, acclimating to 12,000 feet by hanging out at the rooftop restaurant, drinking tea, and admiring the enormous mountain landscape. Leh is easily the most remote, authentic place I have been to in my entire life, yet I know my environment will only continue to become more remote as I move deeper into the mountains.

1 comment:

  1. are you saying that american suburban living is not authentic? what does that make us? LOL sounds like you are having fun and eating a lot of great food. keep the pics and stories coming!

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